Tuesday, February 25, 2014

I usually make a large batch and store them in a dry place. But they do not last long. They are simply too delicious! I eat them instead of bread and take them with me when I travel.

There is so much I could tell you about this crackers! First of all, they are raw and gluten free. Gluten seems to be one of the main concerns of so many people today. Gluten-free breads do not always taste good and when you check the ingredient list on commercially produced breads you will certainly never eat another slice. The "healthy" gluten-free breads are less harmful but they are often the reason that many people decide to never buy bread again. They make their own or replace it with savory gluten-free crackers.

Like many of my recipes, this one will also help you save a little money. I use the leftover carrot pulp that remains after juicing. You can, of course, make these crackers with fresh carrots or a leftover pulp from any vegetable juice. Experiment!

I am using buckwheat in this recipe. Against a popular belief, buckwheat is not a grain but rather a seed of a flowering plant that is closely related to rhubarb. It is gluten-free, rich in fiber, amino acids lysine and arginine, and the glycoside rutin that helps improve blood circulation and strengthen the capillaries. The unique combination of amino acids in buckwheat helps lower cholesterol, reduce hypertension and balance the blood sugar.

Sauerkraut does not need a special introduction, I think, but many people on raw food seem to avoid it. Just check the raw food blogs.

Sauerkraut comes with fantastic health benefits. It is made by lactic fermentation with bacteria and yeasts that are naturally present on cabbage leaves. The only other ingredient that is necessary is salt that is needed to start the natural fermentation process.

Cabbage contains natural isothiocyanate compounds such as sulforaphane, which are known for their cancer-fighting properties. Raw, unpasteurized, sauerkraut has more beneficial lactobacillus bacteria than raw milk yoghurt. The beneficial bacteria help increase healthy flora in the intestinal tract. This in turn helps the immune system to fight infections and aids digestion.

All the other ingredients used in this recipe work in synergy to help you stay nourished and healthy. You may have to adjust the proportions depending on how moist is your sauerkraut. I remove as much moisture as I can, but I save it if the dough turns too thick.

Ingredients:

2 cups raw sauerkraut, drained (raw means unpasteurized)

1 cup carrot pulp leftover from juicing or shredded carrots

1 medium large onion, chopped

1/2 cup sprouted buckwheat

1/2 cup sprouted sunflower seeds

1/2 cup almonds (soaked in water over night)

1/3 cup shredded flax seeds

1/3 cup chia seeds

1 tsp Celtic sea salt

1/2 tsp chili flakes

1/2 tsp ground coriander seeds

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/3 tsp ground pepper

1/3 tsp dried dill

Method:

Using S blade blend all ingredients in a food processor into a firm but not too thick dough. Taste and adjust the amount of spices to your own preference.

Spread the dough onto dehydrator sheets. Form individual crackers making a grid with a spatula or a wide-blade knife.

Dehydrate for at least 8 hours at maximum 115°F.

When ready, store crackers in a dry place in an air-tight container. Enjoy in good company with raw nut cheese or any other raw bread spread.

Tip: If the climate and the weather allows it you can dehydrate your crackers under the sun. Sun-drying is an ancient method of food preservation that has been used in various cultures for thousands of years. It helps you save money and infuses the food with sun energy.

Saturday, February 22, 2014

One of the nicest thing about juicing is the freedom to combine ingredients that normally are not used together.

When you start making your own juices you realize that you can experiment as much as your heart desires. At the same time you will be able to take your raw food experience to an entirely different level.

If you are new to juicing, raw food sites like this one may give you some ideas, but as soon as you put a juicer on your kitchen counter you become a recipe creator in your own right. Experiment as much as you can and have fun with it. And always remember to keep your juicer sparkling clean!

~ Pineapple Mint Juice ~

Ingredients:

flesh of 2 fresh, ripe pineapples, chopped

bunch of fresh mint (6-8 twigs with leaves)

Method:

Run pineapple and mint through your juicer.

Pour juice into glasses. Add ice cubes if you desire and enjoy in good company!

~ Frugal Pineapple Mint Smoothie ~

Ingredients:

take all the leftover pulp that remains after juicing mint and pineapple (remove any hard matter like the mint twigs)

2 ripe bananas, roughly chopped

1 cup nut milk of your choice

2-3 ice cubes (optional)

Method:

Put the fruit pulp into a blender. Add nut milk and bananas. Whiz for a few seconds.

Add ice cubes and whiz until smooth.

Pour into glasses. Garnish with fresh mint leaves and enjoy in good company!

Tip: If you do not have the time to make a smoothie right away, you can freeze the pineapple mint pulp for a later use.

And one last thing. Always use the ripest fruit you can find and you will never have to add any sweetener to your smoothies or juices.

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Yummy! Yummy! Yummy! This is another quick smoothie that is not only delicious, but fairly inexpensive.

If you are new to juicing you may not even know that you can use the leftover pulp that remains after you have made your juice.

I juice carrots on most days and, as you can imagine, produce incredible amounts of carrot pulp. Over the time I have created many recipes, not all of them raw, but all of them incredibly easy and fun to make. This is one of my favorite in the whole collection.

Ingredients:

1 cup leftover carrot pulp (if you do not juice, use shredded carrots)

1 ripe banana

1 1/2 cup raw nut milk of your choice

1/4 tsp dried ginger

1/4 tsp cardamom

1/4 tsp hot chili flakes

pinch Celtic sea salt

1 tsp virgin olive oil or cold pressed oil of your choice

2-3 ice cubes (optional)

Method:

Pour nut milk into a blender. Add carrots and banana. Add ice if you want to and blend until smooth.

Add spices and olive oil. Blend for w few seconds.

Pour smoothie into glasses and enjoy in good company!

As you see, I did not add any sweetener. Not even honey! Carrots are naturally sweet and if you use a very ripe banana you will not have to add anything to make your smoothie sweet. In fact, I believe that this smoothie tastes better when it is only slightly sweet and very spicy. You may find otherwise. Experiment and alter the proportions if you wish.

Sunday, February 16, 2014

This is a wonderful smoothie for the cold season. Loaded with vitamin C, it will help you keep the cold at bay. I used ripe golden kiwis and naturally dried baobab fruit powder as the main ingredients. You do not need any sweetener if you use ripe fruit.

Most people know that kiwifruit is high in vitamin C, but it is not a well known fact that the fruit of the baobab tree is also a great source of this vitamin. In fact, baobab fruit contains six times as much vitamin C as the same amount of oranges.

Baobab fruit is also rich in vitamin A, D, E and the B vitamins, especially vitamin B6; calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorous; various antioxidants and soluble fiber. Moreover, the pulp of the baobab fruit is prebiotic and therefore a wonderful stimulant for the intestinal microflora.

I have never tried the fresh fruit, but I am using the powder quite often. I am adding it to smoothies, juices, cereals, and puddings. It has a nicely acidic taste and it blends well with other ingredients.Ingredients:

3 ripe golden kiwis

1/3 cup baobab powder

1 very ripe banana, peeled and roughly chopped

1 1/2 cup nut milk of your choice

pinch Celtic salt

few drops organic vanilla extract

2-3 ice cubes, optional

Method:

Wash kiwis and cut them into halves. Scoop out the flesh and put it into blender.

Add nut milk and the remaining ingredients and whiz on high speed.

Pour into glasses and enjoy in good company!

Tip: If you are allergic to kiwis, make this smoothie without kiwifruit. Blend two bananas and 1/3 cup baobab powder with 1 1/2 cup nut milk of your choice. Be warned! Baobab is delicious, but do not get tempted to use too much. It works as super, super-laxative!

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Here is a simple, quick and easy strawberry salad that can be made for breakfast or served as an appetizer or desert on St. Valentine's Day.

Love should be celebrated every day, but on St. Valentine's Day we usually add something extra to make that day a bit more special.

Since it is still a cold winter for some of us, I decided to create this simple salad with ingredients that will help you strengthen your immune system. I hope you can buy nice ripe organic strawberries at this time. Pick the ripest berries you can find. They are rich in Vitamin C and other important phytonutients. I used freshly pressed blood orange juice, honey and black pepper to make the dressing. Black pepper is rich in vitamin K and manganese. It helps promote digestion. In many cultures black pepper is a used as aphrodisiac - something you may consider if you are planning a sensual evening with your loved one.

A slightly different version of this salad comes with lemon juice, honey, hot chili and basil. Basil is rich in iron. Honey is a must if you want to maintain a strong immune system. Lemon juice alkalizes the body and hot chili not only keeps your blood running fast and feel more passionate, it also has anti-microbial properties and helps you detoxify your body.

As always, my recipes are here to inspire your own creativity. You can adjust the amounts according to your own preference and use different ingredients. The most important thing is you do it with love and passion.

Ingredients for two:

1 pound ripe, organic strawberries

juice of 1 large blood orange

1 tsp aged balsamic vinegar

2 Tbsp raw honey

1/3 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Method:

In a small bowl whisk a marinade using all the orange juice, balsamic vinegar, pepper and honey. Set aside.

Wash and dry the strawberries and cut the into thick slices.

Arrange sliced strawberries on individual plates.

Pour the dressing over the berries and serve right away. Enjoy in a good company!

There is never a time or place for true love. It happens accidentally, in a heartbeat, in a single flashing, throbbing moment. - Sarah Dessen

Friday, February 7, 2014

Roses and chocolates! These are the most popular gifts people share on St. Valentine's Day. Why not combine the two in one deliciously tempting confection?

Dominique's Rose Petal Raw Chocolate Truffles for the

St. Valentine's Day

I created this truffles with St. Valentine's Day in mind but they can be enjoyed at any time of the year. In summer they can be made with fresh rose petals.

Almost all the ingredients are considered to have aphrodisiac properties. In different cultures they were regarded as libido stimulants. You have to judge it by yourself whether they work or not. But one thing is certain, they are deliciously sensual and also fun to make.

I love dark chocolate and decided to make the outer layer almost bitter. The bitterness of raw cacao opens the senses. The inner core is rather sweet and offers a very sensual surprise. The exotic flavor combination makes you crave for more.

Dominique's Rose Petal Raw Chocolate Truffles for the

St. Valentine's Day

For your own convenience I am posting this recipe well ahead of the St. Valentine's Day so that you will have enough time to gather all the ingredients and test the recipe. If you decide to make this truffles for your loved one, you will have to start at least two days ahead of the big event.

Ingredients:

for the rose petal filling take

3 Tbsp dried, crushed edible rose petals plus 1 Tbsp for garnish

1-2 Tbsp rose water

1 Tbsp purified water

3 Tbsp raw honey

1 Tbsp date paste

1 Tbsp melted cacao butter

2 drops food-grade essential rose oil (optional)

1/3 - 1/2 tsp hot chili flakes

1 Tbsp almond meal

pinch pink Himalaya salt

for the truffles:

12 Medjool dates, pitted

1 1/2 -2 cups purified water for soaking

1/2 melted raw cocoa butter

1 cup raw cacao

1/2 cup almond meal

2-3 Tbsp raw honey

1/4 tsp pink Himalaya salt

1/4 tsp organic vanilla extract

1/2 tsp ground cardamom

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cloves

Dominique's Rose Petal Raw Chocolate Truffles for the

St. Valentine's Day

Method:

Place the crushed rose petals in a small bowl. Add water and rose water and mix well. Cover the bowl and place it in the fridge. Allow to macerate overnight.

Wash the dates and place them in a bowl. Pour enough purified water to cover all the dates. Set aside (you can put the bowl in the fridge) and soak for the entire night.

Next day, put the soft and plump dates into a food processor and process until you get a smooth date paste. Make sure before processing that all the pits are removed. Add some of the soaking water if the paste is too thick. Reserve the remaining water for later use. Transfer the date paste into a large bowl. Set aside.

Transfer the soaked rose petals into a mortar. Add all the other ingredients and turn it into paste using a pestle. If necessary you can add more that the suggested table spoon of date paste. Mix and make sure that all the ingredients are well combined. The rose petal filling should not be too watery. Should this be the case, add little bit more of the almond meal.

Now, back to the large bowl. Add melted cacao butter to the date paste and mix well. Add raw cacao and mix again until all the ingredients are well combined.

Add honey, salt and spices. Mix well.

Add almond meal and mix until you receive a thick dough. If the chocolate dough is toot thick, add a bit of the water in which the dates have been soaked.

Taste the chocolate dough and add more spices to suit your personal taste. This is also the time you can test the consistency. Take a spoonful of the chocolate dough and using clean hands try to roll it into a ball. If you are satisfied with the result you can proceed into making your St. Valentine's Day truffles. If not, add of whatever ingredient you think is necessary. Once the chocolate dough is ready you may want to set it aside for 10-15 minutes. Cover the bowl with clean kitchen towel and allow flavors to mingle.

To make the truffles take 1 Tbsp of chocolate dough and roll it between your palms. Place the ready made chocolate balls on a platter. You should be able to make 16 truffles. Leave some dough for the final touch.

One by one, hold each chocolate ball and carefully make a hole in the center using a finger. Take a small amount of the rose petal mass and gently fill out the hole. Take enough chocolate dough to close the opening and gently roll the truffle into shape. Set on a platter.

Once all truffles are made, garnish each and every one with crushed rose petals and place them in paper candy cups. Chill for at least 2-3 hours or leave them in the fridge overnight. For a very sensual experience enjoy these truffles in a company of your loved one!

Tip: I can imagine that you will be tempted to eat your truffles right away but if you exercise a little patience and allow them to sit in the fridge for the entire night, you will be surprised how good they taste when all the flavors had enough time to mingle. My suggestion is that you put your truffles in a container with a lid and keep it in the fridge at all times to preserve freshness and prevent spoilage.

Saturday, February 1, 2014

This is a quickie! You can make this salad any time in no time. You can make it with or without mint. I used raw honey for additional health benefits, but you can use any sweetener of you choice.

Citrus Fruit Salad with Pomegranate

Ingredients:

2 sweet oranges

2 blood oranges

2 tangerines

arils of 1 pomegranate

freshly pressed juice of 1/2 lemon

freshly pressed juice of 1 lime

freshly pressed juice of 1 orange

2 Tbsp raw honey

1/2 tsp ground cloves

pinch Celtic salt to add valuable minerals and enhance the taste of citrus

Citrus Fruit Salad with Pomegranate

Method:

Peel the oranges and cut them into slices. Do not remove all the white pith that stays after removing the skin. The white "thing" has amazing health benefits. Among others, it is rich in vitamin C and the bioflavonoid quercetin.

Arrange orange slices on a platter alternating between sweet and blood orange.

Spread all the pomegranate arils on top of the orange slices.

In a small bowl whisk a dressing using all the citrus juice, honey, salt and ground cloves.

Pour the dressing over the fruit and enjoy in good company!

Take Two - Citrus Fruit Salad with Fresh Mint and Pomegranate

Tip: You can produce a completely different gustatory sensation if you skip the ground cloves and add fresh peppermint leaves instead.

And last, but not least. You can make a wonderful smoothie using the same ingredients. Add freshly squeezed orange or pomegranate juice, or use chilled coconut water if you prefer. Add a banana, some cinnamon or chia seeds and whiz in a high speed blender!

worth reading

Today, more than ninety five percent of all chronic disease is caused by food choice, toxic food ingredients, nutritional deficiencies and lack of physical exercise. - Mike Adams

Vitamin B12 for vegans!

Your health is what you make of it. Everything you do and think either adds to the vitality, energy and spirit you possess or takes away from it. - Ann Wigmore

Be Like A Pineapple T-Shirt

One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating. - Luciano Pavarotti

Why chose raw food?

The raw food diet, also known as the living food diet, is a diet primarily based on pure, unprocessed and uncooked plant foods, such as fresh fruit and vegetables, sprouts, seeds, nuts, grains, beans, nuts, dried fruit, and seaweed. While many people on raw food are vegans, some do not necessarily exclude other raw foods such as raw eggs, raw honey, raw milk, meat and fish.

The raw food diet consists of 75 - 100 percent raw foods and may include some foods that are cooked or baked. For a better absorption of nutrients raw diet should also include raw fermented foods.

It is important to understand that heating food above 118°F or 47°C destroys most of the enzymes that normally assist in the digestion of food and absorption of nutrients. On the energy level, cooking is believed to diminish the nutritional value and the "life force" of food thus making cooked and processed foods energetically less valuable to the body.

Proponents of the raw food diet believe it has numerous health benefits, including:

For many people raw food means more than a way to obtain nutrition. It is a joyful lifestyle they embrace consciously, knowing that it will lead them to a better mental and physical health and a much happier life.

Radish Detox Smoothie

Health, excellent or ill, is passed to our children not just through our genes but primarily through our recipes. - Joanne L. Mumola Williams

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This is a Google ads free blog. To support my work this blog is monetized through my Amazon store, GHC store, and Redbubble store affiliate links. This means that if you were to make a purchase through one of these links, I would receive a small percentage of the sale price. I only link to products I trust and wholeheartedly recommend. Also, if I write a review of a product, I do it because I tried it out myself. I never get paid to write a review. My first priority is always to provide valuable information and resources to help you create positive changes in your life. I will only ever link to products or resources (affiliate or otherwise) that fit within this purpose.Thank you very much for your support!